President John Dramani Mahama is expected to take his turn at the Institute for Economic Affairs Evening encounter on October 9, 2012. Administrator of the Institute, Jeane Mensah disclosed this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, Friday. The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a joint press conference with officials of the IEA announced the President's participation in the presidential Evening Encounter and debates ahead of the December polls. The ruling party’s decision contradicts its earlier arguments put forward by the Propaganda Secretary, Mr Richard Quashigah that it is the convention that sitting presidents do not participate in presidential debates. But the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia who addressed the press conference stated that the party had given President Mahama the approval to participate in all the IEA events. Speaking on Ekosii Sen programme, IEA boss, Jeane Mensah said her outfit is very pleased with the NDC’s decision to participate in the evening encounter. She noted that the President Mahama’s participation will offer an opportunity for the electorate to do a fair assessment of all the candidates aspiring for the country’s high office. Miss Jeane Mensah underscored the need for all the presidential aspirants to be accountable to the people they seek to govern hence must be ready to subject themselves and their policies to critical scrutiny.